But I didn't. My friend and I were excited to see this film and we were bitterly disappointed. We both fell asleep! I couldn't believe. It sparked some conversation for us, so that was something I guess.
If you loved this film, please fill me in.
cheers.
I think it's a love it/hate it kind of film. I personally thought it was really interesting - there seemed to be so much in every moment that I could pick apart and just mull over. I tend to be a bit analytical (nice euphemism for 'obsessive', lol) and this movie intrigued that side of me, despite the fact that it's actually pretty simple/understated. Not a great year for Aussie films, but this was a great one.
shareI’ve just finished viewing this brutally raw, sad film. The oppressive nature of the film made it tough viewing; watching Samson and Delilah's Groundhog Day existence spiral out of control was an unenjoyable experience. Cathartic would probably be a better way to describe the experience. It's a solid film, but a little overrated after all the hype and press/reviews IMO.
Ok, so I finally went out and watched this film and I really did not like it a great deal either. I am Aboriginal and from a small community and now live in the city and I am very familiar with alot of what the film presents.
I think the acting was great and they both came across very real but I think the script or lack of was very unbelievable. I understand why Samson didn't speak, because sniffing petrol actually destroys the brain, but Delilah should have spoke at alot of times. There is no reason for her not to speak, especially since she seemed at least a bit switched on. I understand her Nan just died and that affected her, but it is just not really real that she would have not have said anything to Samson ever. If she had enough frame of mind to go get paint and canvas and try to sell she would have definitely at least said something to somebody. I think the film maker was trying to be artistic and he sacrificed dialogue for it, and it was not believable to me. I also understand non-verbal communication is a very big part of my culture, but when we are with our own people we talk alot. I know alot of people dealing with similar things and they definitely speak. I had no problem with Samson not speaking because of the petrol, but I had a very big problem with Delilah not speaking.
I also did not believe it as a love story. The first scenes of courting made sense but she did not seem to take a shine to him at any part of the movie, it just seems like she stayed with him just because. I mean did she ever even smile at him? Aborginal people are very passionate and it makes no sense to me why they did not really interact with each other or what she liked about him.
I think alot of people who like this film think it gives them a glimpse at remote Aboriginal life, but I think it does not offer any explanations and leaves too much open for interpretation and it seems to me most people interpret wrong. I also am not comfortable with the shoplifting thing and the lack of positive Aboriginal characters. There are never any good Aboriginal characters for our youth to aspire to be like on TV, all we got is sports and music, thats not good.
I think the praise this film is getting should have been given to Yolngu Boy ten years ago. That is a film that was criminally overlooked and still is.
regarding Samson and Delilah, I liked the portrayal of petrol sniffing but as an "optimistic love story" that it is presented as, I see no optimism in the film just hopelessness (which I personally don't feel reflects reality) and I did not believe it as a love story either.
I have no problem with people liking art type films, but when it is presented as being real and as a reflection of Aboriginal life in remote communities but it really is not real because it is trying to be artsy, I have a problem.
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I felt like slitting my wrists by the three-quarter mark, so I certainly didn't enjoy the experience. There's a lot to admire and respect about the film, such as the sparse dialogue, the sound mixing, and the photography of the outback, which are all excellent. So, on a technical level, the film succeeds, but it was so drenched in misery that I was just paralyzed by hopelessness. I guess it sheds some light on the appalling state of Aboriginal communities, but I have no desire to rewatch it.
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I didn't mind the pacing too much, but "Samson" was just too unsympathetic and annoying. You can have a character that is a loser or a junkie, but he has to have some virtues. He can't just be a stupid animal. The girl should have torched him.
share^ exactly, it was not believable at all. The fact that people were saying it was a modern love story is also ridiculous. It was a plain and mediocre film that had one message and hammered that into the ground after a few minutes, then didn't change anytime after that. Plus the white Aussie characters were such lazily written stereotypes. This film is the Australian 'Gerry'.
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